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Cogent Communications (CCOI)
NASDAQ:CCOI

Cogent Comms (CCOI) AI Stock Analysis

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Cogent Comms

(NASDAQ:CCOI)

Rating:47Neutral
Price Target:
$47.00
▼(-2.08%Downside)
The overall score for Cogent Comms is driven by financial instability, as indicated by negative earnings and high leverage. Technical indicators reflect a bearish trend, while valuation metrics offer limited appeal beyond dividend yield. Earnings call insights provide some optimism, yet corporate events suggest ongoing financial restructuring without addressing core profitability challenges.
Positive Factors
Data Center Monetization
Cogent is confident in data center monetization, which is expected to maximize value despite delays.
Revenue Growth Targets
Management has increased its long-term revenue growth targets to 6-8%.
Negative Factors
Dividend and Share Performance
Shares declined by 7.4% following the announcement to cut the typical quarterly dividend growth.
Revenue Performance
Q1 results were lower than expected across the board, with revenue and seasonal SG&A increases pressuring EBITDA.

Cogent Comms (CCOI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cogent Comms Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCogent Communications Holdings, Inc. (CCOI) is a multinational internet service provider and is considered one of the largest Tier 1 network providers in the world. The company specializes in providing high-speed internet access, IP transit, and data transport services to small and medium-sized businesses, carriers, and content providers across North America, Europe, and Asia. Cogent's core products include dedicated internet access, virtual private networks, and colocation services, leveraging its extensive fiber network infrastructure.
How the Company Makes MoneyCogent Communications generates revenue primarily through the sale of internet access and related services. The company's key revenue streams include providing dedicated internet access services to businesses and carriers, which involves charging customers for high-speed, reliable internet connections. Additionally, Cogent earns money from its IP transit services, where it offers bandwidth to other internet service providers and content delivery networks, allowing them to connect to Cogent's extensive network. The company also derives income from colocation services, renting out space in its data centers to businesses needing secure and reliable hosting environments for their servers and networking equipment. Strategic partnerships and long-term contracts with large enterprises and telecom carriers also contribute significantly to Cogent's revenue, ensuring a steady and predictable income stream.

Cogent Comms Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 08, 2025
(Q1-2025)
|
% Change Since: -7.76%|
Next Earnings Date:Aug 07, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call highlighted strong growth in wavelength and IPv4 leasing revenues, significant cost savings, and a stock buyback program. However, it also pointed out declines in corporate and enterprise revenues, challenges with off-net revenue, underutilized wavelength installation capacity, and increased leverage. The positive elements are tempered by significant negative trends.
Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Wavelength Revenue Growth
Wavelength revenues for the quarter were $7.1 million, an increase of 114% over the same period in 2023-2024. Sequentially, wavelength connections increased by 18%, and wavelength revenue increased by 2.2%.
IPv4 Leasing Revenue Surge
IPv4 leasing revenue increased sequentially by 14.8% to $14.4 million and increased 42% year-over-year. Average revenue per IPv4 address sold was $0.49 for the quarter, a 63% increase from $0.30 at the beginning of the year.
Cost Reduction Achievements
Achieved the remainder of targeted $220 million in cost savings from the acquisition of Sprint. Expect to achieve at least another $20 million of cost savings by the second quarter of 2026.
Gross Margin Improvement
Gross margin increased by 790 basis points from the first quarter of 2024 to 44.6%.
Stock Buyback Program
Repurchased approximately 100,000 shares of common stock for approximately $5 million during the quarter.
Negative Updates
Corporate Revenue Decline
Corporate business represented 44.9% of revenues for the quarter and decreased 11.4% year-over-year and 2.1% sequentially.
Enterprise Revenue Drop
Enterprise business revenue decreased by 11.3% year-over-year and sequentially by 4.1%.
Off-net Revenue Decrease
Off-net revenue was $107.3 million for the quarter, a year-over-year decrease of 9.2% and a sequential decrease of 5.2%.
Challenges with Wavelength Installations
Although there is capacity to install 500 waves per month, the current conversion rate from the funnel is about 5% per month, indicating underutilized capacity.
Increased Leverage
Total gross debt at par, including finance lease obligations, was $2 billion at quarter end, with a net debt of $1.8 billion. Gross debt to last 12 months EBITDA as adjusted ratio was 6.69.
Company Guidance
During Cogent Communications Holdings' Q1 2025 earnings call, the company provided several key metrics and guidance for future performance. Cogent reported a wavelength revenue of $7.1 million for the quarter, marking a 114% increase year-over-year and a 2.2% sequential increase, with 18% growth in wavelength connections. The company has 883 data centers offering services and expects to install 4-5% of its 3,433 wavelength opportunities each month, aiming for 10,000 opportunities by year-end. IPv4 leasing revenue rose 14.8% sequentially to $14.4 million, with a 42% yearly increase, driven by price hikes to $0.49 per address. The firm achieved its targeted $220 million cost savings from the Sprint acquisition and expects another $20 million by mid-2026. Gross margin increased by 790 basis points to 44.6%, while SG&A decreased by $3.8 million year-over-year. Cogent aims for a long-term annual revenue growth rate of 6-8% and plans to expand its EBITDA margin by 150 basis points annually. Additionally, Cogent is working through undesirable Sprint revenues and expects to return to top-line growth by mid-Q3 2025.

Cogent Comms Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Cogent Comms faces significant financial challenges, with inconsistent revenue growth, negative EBIT and net income, high leverage risk due to a high debt-to-equity ratio, and negative free cash flow. These issues highlight profitability, leverage, and liquidity concerns.
Income Statement
45
Neutral
Cogent Comms has shown inconsistent revenue growth with a decline in the most recent TTM period. The gross profit margin decreased, indicating potential cost pressures. The negative EBIT and net income highlight profitability challenges, though the EBITDA margin is positive, showing some operational efficiency.
Balance Sheet
40
Negative
The company has a high debt-to-equity ratio due to low equity, presenting significant leverage risk. With negative equity, the ROE cannot be calculated, indicating financial distress. The equity ratio also reflects a heavy reliance on debt financing, which may constrain financial flexibility.
Cash Flow
30
Negative
Free cash flow is negative, indicating challenges in generating cash after capital expenditures. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is low, suggesting operational inefficiencies. The negative free cash flow to net income ratio further emphasizes liquidity concerns.
Breakdown
TTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income StatementTotal Revenue
1.02B1.04B940.92M599.60M589.80M568.10M
Gross Profit
332.61M394.27M396.69M371.45M363.46M348.95M
EBIT
-169.46M-197.61M-129.33M113.96M119.23M106.92M
EBITDA
188.08M161.29M1.56B208.43M201.08M190.47M
Net Income Common Stockholders
-190.81M-204.07M1.27B5.15M48.19M6.22M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
153.81M198.49M75.09M223.78M319.61M371.30M
Total Assets
3.12B3.17B3.21B1.01B984.56M1.00B
Total Debt
2.36B2.34B1.83B1.36B1.26B1.21B
Net Debt
2.21B2.14B1.75B1.13B941.67M839.96M
Total Liabilities
2.98B2.95B2.60B1.53B1.36B1.29B
Stockholders Equity
142.84M222.85M609.56M-518.63M-373.10M-293.17M
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
-203.72M-203.64M-112.29M94.74M100.34M84.37M
Operating Cash Flow
8.49M-8.64M17.34M173.71M170.26M140.32M
Investing Cash Flow
-62.55M21.49M76.73M-78.97M-69.92M-55.95M
Financing Cash Flow
72.46M105.92M-257.85M-144.85M-140.82M-116.00M

Cogent Comms Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price48.00
Price Trends
50DMA
50.40
Negative
100DMA
60.79
Negative
200DMA
67.30
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.89
Negative
RSI
45.88
Neutral
STOCH
72.33
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CCOI, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 48 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 47.68, below the 50-day MA of 50.40, and below the 200-day MA of 67.30, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.89 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 45.88 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 72.33 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CCOI.

Cogent Comms Risk Analysis

Cogent Comms disclosed 42 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cogent Comms reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cogent Comms Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
ZDZD
72
Outperform
$1.44B21.154.12%3.24%36.80%
64
Neutral
$2.76B-18.66%14.55%-81.21%
64
Neutral
$764.71M-4.30%0.72%21.68%-1010.29%
61
Neutral
$14.75B5.86-3.99%6.11%2.67%-30.24%
59
Neutral
$932.95M6.7934.07%7.46%11.62%
TDTDS
54
Neutral
$3.79B-0.97%0.47%-5.14%78.63%
47
Neutral
$2.40B102.75-59.30%8.38%-3.47%-115.75%
* Communication Services Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CCOI
Cogent Comms
48.00
-1.04
-2.12%
GSAT
Globalstar
22.19
5.99
36.98%
ZD
Ziff Davis, Inc.
32.36
-23.24
-41.80%
SHEN
Shenandoah Telecommunications Co
13.88
-1.90
-12.04%
SBGI
Sinclair Broadcast
13.16
2.48
23.22%
TDS
Telephone & Data Systems
34.28
14.70
75.08%

Cogent Comms Corporate Events

Private Placements and FinancingBusiness Operations and Strategy
Cogent Comms Prices $600M Senior Secured Notes
Positive
Jun 3, 2025

On June 3, 2025, Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. announced that its subsidiaries have priced an offering of $600 million in senior secured notes due 2032, with an interest rate of 6.500%. The proceeds from the offering will be used to redeem existing notes due 2026 and for general corporate purposes. The offering is expected to close on June 17, 2025, subject to customary conditions, and highlights Cogent’s strategic financial management to optimize its debt structure.

The most recent analyst rating on (CCOI) stock is a Sell with a $65.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cogent Comms stock, see the CCOI Stock Forecast page.

Private Placements and FinancingBusiness Operations and Strategy
Cogent Comms Announces $600M Senior Secured Notes Offering
Positive
Jun 2, 2025

On June 2, 2025, Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. announced that its subsidiaries, Cogent Communications Group, LLC and Cogent Finance, Inc., plan to offer $600 million in senior secured notes due 2032 through a private placement. The proceeds from this offering are intended to redeem existing $500 million senior secured notes due 2026 and for general corporate purposes. The issuance aims to strengthen Cogent’s financial position by reducing its consolidated leverage ratio, which would be adjusted to 4.24x post-offering, enhancing its market competitiveness.

The most recent analyst rating on (CCOI) stock is a Sell with a $65.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cogent Comms stock, see the CCOI Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder MeetingsBusiness Operations and Strategy
Cogent Comms Annual Meeting Decisions Impact Governance
Neutral
May 8, 2025

On May 7, 2025, Cogent Comms held its Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, where stockholders voted on several key proposals. The meeting resulted in the election of board members, approval of amended bylaws to adjust board size, ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as auditors, and approval of executive compensation and a company plan. These decisions are expected to impact the company’s governance and operational strategies moving forward.

Private Placements and Financing
Cogent Comms Prices $174.4 Million IPv4 Revenue Notes
Neutral
Apr 4, 2025

On April 4, 2025, Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. announced that a special-purpose, bankruptcy remote, indirect wholly owned subsidiary priced $174.4 million of secured Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address revenue term notes, with an anticipated repayment term of five years. The notes are secured by Cogent’s IPv4 addresses and customer accounts, and the proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes. The transaction is expected to close around April 11, 2025, subject to closing conditions, and is offered to qualified institutional buyers and certain accredited investors in compliance with U.S. securities regulations.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.